1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to information processing systems and methods, information processing apparatuses, recording media, and programs. More particularly, the invention relates to an information processing system and method, an information processing apparatus, a recording medium, and a program in which events can be flexibly detected and reported so as to inhibit power consumption. The invention also pertains to an image-capturing device and method, a recording medium, and a program in which the situation outside a vehicle can be monitored by a back monitor camera disposed in the vehicle while the vehicle is being parked.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, in home security systems, a method for obtaining sensor information by viewing a monitor television (TV) that displays monitor images sent from an image-capturing device has been suggested (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 08-124078).
Another method for detecting humans entering a monitored area by determining the presence or absence of human bodies or traces by using a monitor device formed as a combination of an infrared sensor and an image sensor has been suggested (for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-339554).
In the inventions disclosed in the above publications, principally, specific places or specific abnormalities (events) are detected.
In the inventions disclosed in the above publications, however, adjustments required for installing the sensors (the image-capturing device and the monitor device) are troublesome, and once they are installed, it is difficult to move them to another place.
If power is supplied to a security camera by a cable from indoors, the installation place of the security camera is also restricted. Accordingly, power is supplied to the individual elements of the security camera from batteries, thereby increasing the flexibility to install the camera.
In this case, however, the life of the batteries is short, and when the batteries have run out, the security camera can no longer capture images. A user is thus required to regularly charge or replace the batteries, which is troublesome, and the user sometimes does not realize that the batteries have run out.
In ordinary households, the installation of security cameras is becoming popular. In this case, security cameras are generally installed outdoors, and images from security cameras are sent to monitors disposed indoors by wireless means. This allows users to monitor the situation outdoors through security cameras while remaining indoors.
Images captured by such security cameras are constantly recorded on recording media, for example, video cassette tape.
Accordingly, the amount of image data recorded from the security cameras becomes very large, and the communication cost for sending the image data is high. Additionally, the user has to search through a large amount of image data sent from the security camera, which is very time-consuming.
Thus, a method for capturing image data only when someone intrudes into a monitored area so as to decrease the amount of image data to be stored in a storage medium has been suggested (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-132774). In this method, the communication cost can be reduced and search in playing back image data can be facilitated.
In the method disclosed in this publication, however, when someone intrudes into the monitored area, the camera is operated to capture image data and the image data is stored in a storage device. Accordingly, it cannot be determined whether an intruder approaches the monitored area or goes away from the monitored area, thereby storing unnecessary images. Additionally, the standard for detecting an intrusion never changes, and events (detection of an intrusion) of no interest to the users may sometimes be stored and reported.